“People need to work to earn a living. Obviously we need money to live and, you know, buy food and pay rent and all this stuff, but you also need to work for a living because it gives you purpose. Because people that don't have a purpose and that have too much time on their hands, it's never good. . . . You could tell me right now, ‘Hey, we'll give you a hundred thousand dollars . . . every year for the rest of your life, but you can't go back to work. I would say, ‘No, I want to go back to work.’” - Matt
In this episode of the New York Mandate podcast, I talk with Matt, who started out with the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) as an emergency medical technician (EMT) in 2015. He later became a firefighter with the department, following in the footsteps of his father, uncle, and grandfather.
Matt applied for a religious exemption to the vaccine mandate as a Christian, and was rejected. He was put on leave without pay in November 2021 and terminated in March 2022.
Matt talked with me about why he loved being an FDNY firefighter, what it was like to work through the height of the pandemic in Harlem, and his religious objections to taking the vaccine.
We also talked about how his union responded to the mandate, the importance of maintaining individual freedoms in the United States, and why he sees taking a stand against the vaccine mandate as an issue that goes beyond his own interests.
Here are some links related to things we talked about during the episode:
A Glimpse Inside of the Citywide Panel’s Black Box
This article from Teachers for Choice discusses the role of NYC’s Citywide Appeals Panel in deciding whether to accept applications for religious exemption to the vaccine mandate. It includes a PDF of a deposition of one of the panel members.
Uniformed Firefighters Association
The UFA is the union that represents New York City firefighters.
Bravest for Choice
An organization supporting NYC firefighters, medics, and EMTs who have been terminated or put on leave because they have not complied with the city’s vaccine mandates. This group has been part of the anti-mandate protest movement.
Order of the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to Require COVID-19 Vaccination for City Employees and Certain City Contractors
This is the order that former Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi issued on October 20, 2021 requiring New York City municipal employees and contractors to be vaccinated.
Order of the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to Require COVID-19 Vaccination in the Workplace
This is the order that former Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi issued on December 13, 2021 requiring all workers in New York City who work in a workplace or interact with other workers or the public to be vaccinated.
NYC Vaccination Requirement: Workplaces
This is where you can find current information on New York City’s workplace vaccination requirements.
About the New York Mandate Podcast
The New York Mandate Podcast is an ongoing series of conversations exploring the costs and consequences of vaccine mandates in New York City. I’ll be talking with workers who have been directly affected by the mandates, as well as legal and policy experts.
In late 2021, the city introduced a series of requirements for workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. These requirements were put in place through executive orders issued by the administration of former mayor Bill de Blasio.
Current mayor Eric Adams continues to support the mandates, and they now extend to most working people in the city of New York. Private sector employers are required to affirm that their employees have been vaccinated, and public sector employees of city agencies have been terminated or put on unpaid leave for failing to comply with the vaccine requirement.
The views expressed in the New York Mandate podcast are the personal opinions of the people speaking, and are not intended to provide medical or legal advice.
Join the Conversation
Have you lost your job, been put on leave, or lost opportunities to work as an independent contractor as a result of your decision not to comply with a New York vaccine mandate? Did you take a vaccine against your wishes in order to keep your job? Please get in touch with me at NYMpodcast@protonmail.com.
New York Mandate Podcast, Ep. 19: FDNY Firefighter Matt